Jade Tanuki Trouble

Jade: Tanuki Trouble by Misa Izanaki

Torquere Press www.torquerepress.com

Copyright ©2010 by Misa Izanaki First published in www.torquerepress.com, 2010 NOTICE: This eBook is licensed to the original purchaser only. Duplication or distribution to any person via email, floppy disk, network, print out, or any other means is a violation of International copyright law and subjects the violator to severe fines and/or imprisonment. This notice overrides the Adobe Reader permissions which are erroneous. This eBook cannot be legally lent or given to others. This eBook is displayed using 100% recycled electrons.

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Jade: Tanuki Trouble by Misa Izanaki

Jade: Tanuki Trouble by Misa Izanaki Frankie brushed a bit of silver hair back under his cowboy hat and set two icy bottles of beer on the bar for one of the drink boys. It was a good night. The club was busy, but not too crazy, which suited Frankie just fine. It was also 'Wild West' night, which meant all the drink boys were wearing chaps, cowboy hats and little else. It also meant that Frankie had to dress up, too. He didn't mind it too much since he got to wear jeans under his chaps. Pants were always a good thing, as far as Frankie was concerned. Well, maybe not on the drink boys. They were perfectly fine without pants. Another one of the boys sauntered by the bar and made Frankie sigh. It was a damn good night for eye candy at The Body Shop, not that Frankie was tempted. He had his own sweet and sexy lover, and that was all Frankie needed. Aki was lithe and gorgeous, with chocolate eyes and long dark hair tipped with red and gold that framed his boyish face. He was also a tanuki, a shape-shifting raccoon-dog, complete with furry ears and a bushy stripped tail. The furry parts took a little getting used to, but they were growing on Frankie. Those extra bits were always fun to pet, more so because it usually got Aki all hot and bothered. Frankie stepped around the worn wooden bar to grab a couple of empties. Soft fur brushed against his arm. He glanced up to see Aki bouncing next to him with a bright smile on that pretty face. The tanuki was wearing something 3

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that resembled a samurai's outfit and looked pretty damned good in it, too. That's right, Aki was starting tonight. He had been getting restless over the past few weeks, so Frankie suggested that he find a job or a hobby, something to keep the tanuki occupied. Frankie really wasn't surprised that Kale had hired him. After all, Aki was sexy and not shy about his body at all. It was just a little weird watching him take his clothes off in front of all those people. At least, Frankie got to see him more since they were basically working together. That helped ease the weirdness a little. "Hello, love." Aki tip-toed and kissed Frankie on the cheek. "Hey, Aki." Frankie tweaked one of Aki's furry ears. "You look good tonight." "Thanks!" Aki turned around, giving Frankie a look at the whole package. "Max did an amazing job on the costume, didn't he?" "He usually does." Frankie slipped back behind the bar. Aki nodded. "I'm lucky to work at the only strip club that has its own costume designer." "Of course it just so happens to be the strip club your boyfriend works at, right?" "Frankie..." "What?" "I thought you were okay with this?" Aki gave him a worried look. Frankie sighed. He hadn't meant it like that, really he hadn't. "I am. I— sorry, it's fine, really. It'll take a little getting used to, that's all." 4

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Aki's ears perked a little. "Okay, as long as you're sure." "I am." Frankie smiled and ruffled Aki's hair. "Now, go on. You don't want to be late your first night on stage." "That's true." Aki brushed his fingers over Frankie's cheek and bounded off. "See you in a bit." Frankie waved his lover off. He was okay with it, really he was. Frankie had never been the jealous type, but it was hard to see his lover on the stage, taking his clothes off in front of so many people. Granted, there was an easy enough fix for that. Frankie could just not to look up and keep his eyes off the stage as much as possible. That was a whole lot harder than it sounded. Frankie couldn't help but stare once he saw Aki heading up the stairs to the stage. The club went silent as the soft wail of a Japanese flute drifted from the speakers. Aki stepped up on the raised platform and the flute music faded and something more heady and modern started up. Aki tugged at the ties of his samurai pants and the heavy material slipped down his narrow hips. He stepped out of the puddle of fabric and shrugged his shoulders, letting the kimono shirt he was wearing slide down his back. A wicked little smile crossed Aki's face as he moved fluidly across the stage. Damn, he was sexy. "Frankie!" That startled Frankie out of his thoughts. He glanced up to see his co-worker, Dante, struggling with two large bags of ice. Frankie took one and dumped in the ice bin. "Sorry, Dante." 5

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"What's with you?" Dante set the other bag down, his lion tail twitching back and forth. He glanced toward the stage. "Oh, I see." "What's that supposed to mean?" "You know." Dante gave him a knowing look and tied a short apron over his chaps. "It must be hard not to watch when your boyfriend is on stage." "I wasn't staring." Another of Aki's movements caught Frankie's eye. His tanuki was naked except for a tiny thong and that furry tail. "And I'm not distracted either." "That's why you agreed to cover my shifts for the rest of the week, right?" "Yeah... wait, what?" "See, what I mean?" Frankie shrugged. "What? It's Aki's first night, I just want to make sure he does okay." "Ah, but you're totally fine with the whole stripping thing?" "Dante, don't start." Frankie turned and poked at the small goat horns that peeked through his co-worker's hair. Why did people keep asking him if he was okay with Aki stripping? First Kale, then Aki and now Dante; Frankie was beginning to wonder if he was doing something wrong. Was he supposed to be jealous and not want Aki to dance even if it made his tanuki happy? "I'm fine with it. Besides, it's Aki's choice, not mine." "I guess." Dante shook up a martini and poured it into a glass for a waiting drink boy. "I just figured that you'd be more, you know, jealous or something." 6

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Dante said something else but it was drowned out by the applause and whistles coming from the customers. Frankie glanced up to see Aki weaving and flirting his way through the crowd. The tanuki was bouncing when he finally made it to the bar. "So what did you think?" Aki hopped up onto an empty bar stool and smiled brightly. Frankie was surprised that Aki could sit down considering all the bills sticking out of his underwear. Those were some serious tips. "You looked great, babe." Frankie leaned over the bar and tweaked a furry ear. "How did you like it?" "It was fun." Aki stood again and started pulling the cash out of his thong. "What exactly am I supposed to do with all this?" "It goes into the tip jar and that gets split up at the end of the night." Dante pointed at the large fish bowl on the bar. "Ah, okay." Aki dropped a handful of bills into the tip bowl. He glanced up and gave Frankie a hopeful look. "Are you off soon?" Frankie poured two martinis and handed them off to a waiting drink boy. "I got about half an hour, why?" Aki leaned over the bar and whispered into Frankie's ear. He accented the soft purring words with a gentle nip on Frankie's ear. "Mmn, I thought you might like a private show. Who knew dancing could be so... arousing." "Yeah, I guess it'll do that." Frankie swallowed dryly. How the hell was he supposed to get through the last part of his shift with a horny and mostly naked Aki sitting at the bar? Of course, he could always try and coax Dante into covering for 7

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him. Frankie pushed that thought away quickly. He couldn't duck out on Dante just for sex. What kind of friend and coworker would Frankie be if he did that? Frankie took a deep breath and tried not to think about what he wanted to do to Aki. "You did really well for your first show." "Thank you." Aki smiled and licked his lips. "I had so much fun. I can't wait to get more stage time." "It shouldn't be too long, considering how popular you were tonight." "You think so?" "Totally," Frankie nodded. He wasn't sure how he was going to put up with the distraction of Aki dancing two or three sets but he was not going to rain on his lover's parade. Frankie tried to keep focused on his work, but it was really hard with Aki sitting there, giving him needy looks. "Um, Aki?" "Hmm?" "Why don't you go get changed and I'll meet you by the elevator when I'm done with my shift?" "Okay." Aki hopped off his barstool and gave Frankie a wink. "Don't keep me waiting too long. We may not make it back to the apartment, if you do." Frankie sighed in relief and helped Dante with the rest of the drink orders. Luckily, it wasn't too busy or he would have to deal with a pissed of Dante on top of everything else. All the while, Frankie kept glancing at the clock. It was only supposed to be thirty minutes, but it felt like forever. "You know watching the clock isn't going to make the time go by any faster, right?" 8

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"What?" "You've been staring at the clock ever since Aki stopped by." Dante gave him a knowing look. "I'm going to guess that you two have plans after your shift. Hot and naked plans, I'll bet." "It is his first night of work. I think that's worth celebrating, don't you?" Frankie didn't know what else to say. Sure, Dante had hit the nail on the head, but Frankie didn't want to give his friend too much info. That would just bring on more questions, questions that Frankie definitely did not want to answer. "True enough." "Aki's really excited that it went well tonight and it's rubbed off on me, I guess." "Well, you'd better get going then." Dante smacked Frankie with a bar towel. "I'd hate for you to keep Aki waiting for too long. He might start without you." "Are you sure?" Frankie gave Dante a curious look. It wasn't everyday that Dante offered to cover for him. "Totally, Kale won't mind if you leave a little early." Dante pushed Frankie toward the elevator. "Just don't make a habit of it, okay?" "I won't." Frankie nodded. "Thanks, Dante." "You're welcome." Dante waved him off. "I expect you to be on the ball next time, though." "I will." Aki was waiting beside the elevator, dressed in a pair of hip hugging shorts and a snug T-shirt. Those furry ears 9

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perked as Frankie got closer and Aki bounced over to give him a hug. "Frankie!" "Hey, sweetness," Frankie slid his arm around that slim waist and pulled Aki closer. "You ready to go home?" "I'm ready for you, that's for sure." Aki purred and brushed that soft furry tail against Frankie's thigh. "Come on, we can try out my new room." "Kale gave you one of the back rooms?" Frankie raised an eyebrow in curiosity. "I thought those were only for the boys who were whoring." "They are, but Aoi isn't really using his anymore so Kale said it was all right if I wanted to use it sometimes. You know in case I wanted to nap between sets... or maybe get a quickie from a certain jade-eyed bartender. Okay, Kale didn't say that part but you get my point." "It's up to you, love." Frankie trailed his fingers down Aki's back and stroked the velvety base of his tail. "I know how impatient you can get." "Mmn, lets try out my room. I don't think I'm going to make it upstairs." Aki bit his bottom lip and gave Frankie a hungry look. "Especially when you pet me like that." "That's right, you're sensitive right there, aren't you?" Frankie touched Aki again, rubbing his hand right where Aki's tail connected to the tanuki's spine. There was something about the mix of fur and soft skin that felt so good under Frankie's fingers. It was also one of Aki's sweet spots which made things all the more interesting. They headed down the hall and stopped in front a dark blue door. Aki ran his hand over the palm scanner and the 10

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door opened with a click. He tugged Frankie inside with a grin. "I can't wait to get you out of those clothes." Frankie shut the door behind them. "What ever you want, love, just say the word." "Oh, how about a shower first and we can go from there." Aki snatched Frankie's cowboy hat and tossed it onto the cushy chair that sat in the corner of the room. "You make a very sexy cowboy, by the way." "Thanks." Frankie kicked off his shoes. Okay, he had cheated and worn his sneakers even if he was supposed to be a cowboy. Not that anyone would have noticed since he had been standing behind the bar for most of his shift. Aki's slim hands slid over Frankie's chest and warm brown eyes glanced up hungrily. "Come on, Frankie, if you don't get naked soon, I'm going to have to take care of things all by myself." Those nimble fingers trailed lower and tugged at the button fly of Frankie's jeans. "You don't want that, do you?" "I don't know. I like watching you sometimes." Frankie shrugged off his vest and tossed it along side his hat. "Suit yourself." Aki headed to the bathroom, leaving a trail of discarded clothing behind him. Frankie wiggled out of his jeans and followed his pretty lover to the bathroom. Aki stood beside a large slate tiled shower stall, gorgeously naked. He fiddled with the temperature panel and started the shower. One furry ear twitched and Aki lifted his tail, giving Frankie a good long look at that perfect ass. Aki straightened and brushed his fingers over pert nipples. His hand slid lower to cup the slim length straining against 11

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Aki's belly. Damn, he looked good. Aki moaned softly and arched into his own touch. He brought his hand up again and licked two fingers wetly. Those slid beneath Aki's tail and pushed into the tanuki's tight hole. "Mmm, Frankie." "Oh, baby." Frankie pushed forward, pressing him against the shower wall. Steamy water pelted them both. "Love you." "Love you, too." Aki pulled his fingers free and pressed both hands against the shower wall. "Fuck me, please." "I want to taste you first." Frankie knelt behind Aki and pushed those soft cheeks apart. He lapped and prodded Aki's hole with the tip of his tongue. "But ho— oh!" Frankie gave Aki another wet lick and pushed two fingers into Aki's ass. "What's wrong, love?" "You're teasing me, that's what." Aki brushed his tail over Frankie's chest. Now who was teasing? "Please, Frankie... I want to feel that thick cock in me." "I thought you liked my fingers." Frankie pushed a third finger into Aki's ass. He twisted them slightly, pressing right up against Aki's gland. "I-I do." Aki moaned and rocked back, fucking himself on Frankie's hand. "They feel good, but your cock feels even better." He glanced back and gave Frankie a hungry look. "Especially when you're fucking me nice and hard." How could Frankie argue with that? He stood and grabbed a bottle of lube from the shelf beside the shower and squirted it over his cock. Frankie rubbed his cock teasingly between Aki's cheeks. "Is this what you want?" "Oh, yeah." Aki reached back and guided Frankie in. 12

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Frankie pushed deep. Tight, slick heat surrounded his cock and squeezed him every time Aki took a breath. Damn that was good. Frankie had to take it slow or he was going to come right then and there. Once Aki's grip eased up a little, Frankie started to move. He buried one hand in the wet fur of Aki's tail and wrapped the other around the tanuki's waist and slammed his hips forward. "Oh, Frankie, harder, please!" Aki pushed back, meeting Frankie's thrusts. Frankie bucked forward, filling Aki completely. He leaned against his lover's back and nipped at a furry ear. "Don't forget about that sweet cock of yours." Aki nodded and wrapped one slim hand around his cock. He stroked himself quickly, matching Frankie's rhythm. "That's it. You look so good, love." Watching Aki was always such a turn on. Frankie loved the wanton look on his lover's face and the way that sweet body would tense and tremble every time his cock slid home. Aki's breaths came in soft gasps and those needy brown eyes clamped shut. Frankie knew that look. Aki was on the edge. "Oh, fuck! Frankie!" Aki tossed his head back and his whole body tensed and tightened around Frankie's cock. Warm come splattered against the shower wall and over Aki's fingers. Frankie managed a few more deep thrusts before coming himself. He was surprised that he lasted that long. Frankie usually came right after Aki did. It was hard not to with Aki milking him like that. "Mmm, you're so tight." Frankie nuzzled Aki's cheek. 13

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"Hrr, it's so I can squeeze the come out of that gorgeous cock of yours." Aki licked the stickiness from his fingers. "And you do it so well." Frankie turned Aki around and flicked his tongue over those velvety lips. "It's easy, with a lover like you." Aki slipped his arms around Frankie's neck and snuggled close. "I love touching you, tasting you." "Come on, love, we should get cleaned up." Frankie poured some shower gel into his hand and lathered Aki's chest. "Unless, you don't want to try for round two..." "Oh, I never said that." **** It had been one hell of a week. Since Aki had started, the club had been busier than usual which meant more work for all the bartenders, Frankie included. It wasn't surprising really; things always picked up when there was a new dancer on stage, especially one as pretty as Aki was. That was only part of it, though. Aki loved to dance and it showed. He was sexy, graceful and looked damned good on stage. Aki was also a big flirt, which paid off when he was collecting tips. Frankie sighed. It was part of the job, Frankie knew that. The only problem was that Aki seemed to enjoy flirting a little too much. "What are you still doing here?" Frankie glanced up to see his boss standing at the bar. "Hey, Kale." The tall red-head nodded at him. "If I remember right, you were supposed to be off about twenty minutes ago." 14

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"I'm just waiting for Ed to get back from the bathroom." "Go on, I can cover the bar until then." Kale shooed Frankie toward the back hall. "I'm sure Aki's waiting for you." "Thanks, Kale." Frankie tugged off his apron and stepped around the bar. "I'll see you later." "Totally. Have a good one." Oh, it felt good to be off work. Frankie stretched and headed into the back hall. Aki had to be around somewhere. There weren't that many places for the tanuki to hide, unless of course he had shifted into something else. But, Aki had promised that he wouldn't do that, in public, at least. A bit of chocolate-colored fur caught Frankie's eye. It was Aki all right. He was leaning against the far wall and he wasn't alone. There was another man, a customer from the look of things. The guy leaned over Aki like they were sharing a secret. Aki gave him a bright, sexy smile and trailed those slim fingers over the guy's arm. That made the man grin and he pulled a bill out of his shirt pocket and tucked it into Aki's gstring. His hand lingered on Aki's hip. Frankie took a deep breath and counted to ten, twice. They shouldn't have been back here, unless of course Aki was giving the guy a 'private show'. Frankie pushed that thought away as quickly as it popped up. Aki wouldn't do that. He'd specifically said there would be no whoring and Frankie believed him. This was just some sort of misunderstanding. It was nothing, just a customer giving Aki a last minute tip and Frankie's neurotic brain was blowing everything out of proportion. 15

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That thought went out the window as the customer slid a hand over Aki's crotch and groped at him. Something in Frankie's brain snapped and he stormed over there. He grabbed the man's hand before it could grope anywhere else. Frankie pushed the man back. "Get you're hands off him!" "What the hell?" "You heard me." Frankie snapped. He wasn't being jealous, he was just protecting Aki. At least, that's what Frankie kept telling himself. "Any of the bouncers would toss you on your ass if they saw you touching him like that." "Frankie, stop it!" Aki stepped between Frankie and the guy. He turned and bowed apologetically to his customer. "I'm so sorry." "Why are you apologizing to him for? Aki ignored Frankie completely and bowed to the guy again. "I'm really sorry. I— he's usually not like this." "It's okay, sweetness." The guy brushed his fingers over Aki's cheek. He turned and headed back into the main part of the club. "I'll see you again... maybe when you're bodyguard isn't around." As soon as his customer was out of sight, Aki turned and glared at Frankie. Those usually perky ears were flattened against Aki's hair and his tail was bristling. Oh, Aki was pissed. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" "He's not supposed to be touching you like that!" Frankie snapped back. "You know that." "It wasn't a big deal." "Sure, if you're doing 'private shows'." 16

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"What?" "Whoring. You know, fucking or blowing guys for money?" Frankie clenched his hands angrily. "Is that why Kale gave you a room down here?" "You know how I feel about that." Aki's ears flicked back. "I don't like having sex with strangers." "You did it with me, quick enough." "It was different with you." Aki rubbed his hands against Frankie's chest. "Besides, I wasn't with anyone at the time. If I slept with anyone else now, I'd be cheating on you and I wouldn't do that." "Don't lie to me, Aki." Frankie slapped Aki's hands away. "I'm not lying and I'm not whoring myself out, either." Aki clutched his tail to his chest and gave Frankie a hurt look. "Why won't you believe me?" "Because I just caught you being felt up by a customer and you don't seem to have a problem with it." Frankie folded his arms over his chest. That sad puppy look wasn't going to work on him, not this time. "Who knows what you're doing when I'm not around?" "I've never cheated on you, Frankie, not once." Tears welled in those big brown eyes. "But if you insist on being an ass, maybe we shouldn't be together anymore." "What?" "It's obvious that you don't think much of me and that you don't trust me. I-I can't be with someone like that." Aki turned and ran for his room. "We're done, Frankie!" That brought the more sensible part of Frankie back into focus. Of course, it was a little late. Frankie smacked himself 17

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in the forehead. What the hell had he just done? Well, you called your lover a whore and a liar for no good reason and basically made a mess of things. Good going, jackass. All Frankie wanted was to do was go home and spend a little time with Aki and he had fucked that up royally. "Aki, wait!" Frankie reached for his lover, but Aki was too quick for him. The tanuki twisted out of Frankie's reach and slammed the door behind him. The only thing Frankie could do at that point was apologize and try not to be so damned stupid next time. Of course, that was assuming that Aki would take him back and there was a next time. Frankie took a deep breath and knocked on the door. "Aki, love." "Go away!" "Look, I'm sorry. Please, let me in." "No!" Aki's voice was muffled by the door but Frankie could tell he was still crying "You're being an ass and I'm mad at you." Aki was so right and the tanuki had every right to be angry at him. Frankie leaned against the door with a sigh. He didn't know what to do. He needed to fix things with Aki, but he wasn't sure how to do it. "Aki, please, you can't leave. Where are you going to stay?" Frankie knocked on the door again. He hated yelling through the door, but he didn't have much of a choice unless Aki decided to let him in. "I'm sleeping here tonight and I'll come get my things tomorrow. I-I'm sure Kale will let me have my own place." "Love, don't do this, please." 18

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There was no answer. Great, Aki was ignoring him. Frankie was half tempted to break down the door and corner Aki until the tanuki talked to him. Yeah, that was a good idea, if Frankie wanted to lose his job as well as his lover. Itsuki peered around the corner at Frankie, his foxy ears perked with interest. Besides being a bouncer, Itsuki was also the long time lover of one of the club's top dancers, Aoi. If anybody could help Frankie figure things out, it would be him. "What's up, Frankie? Tanuki trouble?" "You could say that." Frankie raked his hand through his silver hair. "I screwed things up... big time." "What did you do?" Itsuki's ears twitched as he stepped closer. "And why is Aki crying?" "You can hear that?" "What can I say, I have good ears." Itsuki tugged on one of the sable fox ears that peeked through his hair. "So what happened?" "I saw Aki back here with a customer and I got all stupid and jealous." Frankie shook his head. "Whoring and cheating came up and then he broke up with me." "Wow." "I don't know what happened. I'm not a jealous guy, at least, I never used to be." "Things change when you see your mate and love taking his clothes off and flirting with other men." Itsuki blew a bit of dark spiky hair out of his copper-colored eyes. "You probably should have thought of that before you let him start working here. You know what this place is like." 19

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"I know, but I didn't have a problem with Aki dancing. It's the whole getting felt up and ogled at that I seem to have issues with." Frankie hung his head unhappily. "I don't know what to do. I mean, even if we fix this. I can't really ask him to quit because I'm being a possessive ass, but I don't know if I can handle watching the whole club ogle at him either." "Do you love him?" Frankie nodded. "More than anything." "And it's pretty obvious that he loves you, right?" "Well, he used to. I'm not sure after tonight, though." "Everyone fights, Frankie. It happens." Itsuki patted Frankie on the back. "I guess, but this was worse than just a fight; he broke up with me." Frankie slammed his fist against the wall in frustration. "It's over, at least as far as Aki is concerned." "He didn't mean it. He's just hurt and angry." "Well, if he does take me back, how do I make sure this doesn't happen again?" "Trust him. It's simple as that." Itsuki leaned against the wall and combed his fingers through the thick fur of his tail. "If you can't trust your mate then you're always going to have problems." "Is that how you and Aoi managed for this long?" Frankie stretched and shoved his hands in the pockets of his jeans. "Pretty much, though, it was a little different since Aoi was stripping and whoring before I met him." "I still don't get how you do it. I mean, how do you not get jealous?" 20

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"I know that I'm the only one he loves, well me and Aya. Aoi doesn't look at anyone else the way he looks at us." Itsuki shrugged. "Granted, I do still get a little jealous now and again, but then Aoi convinces me that I'm being a silly fox and we work through it. The main thing is to not let the green-eyed monster distort how you see things." Itsuki poked at Frankie's forehead. "Or in your case I guess it would be a jade-eyed monster." "Thanks, I think." "Come on, it's funny." "Yeah, I guess." Frankie chewed on his thumbnail nervously. What if Aki didn't want him back? What if he fucked it all up again? He couldn't think like that. Frankie just needed to fix things. "Wait, how exactly am I supposed to apologize to Aki? I mean, without shouting through the door." Itsuki patted Frankie on the head. "Don't worry about it. I'll get Aoi to talk to him." "Do you think he'll have better luck?" "At the very least, he can get in. I'm pretty sure his palm scan will still open that door." "Really?" "Well, it was his room originally." **** Greenish smoke curled around Aki as he poofed into his tanuki form. It had always happened when he was upset or stressed whether Aki liked it or not. Too bad it didn't make him feel any better. Aki curled up on the bed, his tearstreaked face buried in his furry striped tail. How could 21

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Frankie say those things? How could his sweet silver-haired lover be so cruel to him? Aki didn't understand any of it. Then again, humans were such odd creatures, especially when it came to things like love. He didn't know what to do. Aki knew that he had to talk to Frankie at some point, but he didn't want to. He was still hurt and angry with his lover. It was hard to focus with all that swirling around in his head. Aki sighed. At least he had some place to sleep while he thought things through. Well, unless Kale needed the room for anything. The door opened, startling Aki out of his thoughts. A pretty and familiar face peeked in on him. It was Aoi, one of the dancers and the club's resident elf. Aoi was easy to recognize with all that dark knee length hair and, of course, the pointed ears. "Hey, Aki." "S-sorry, I didn't realize you needed the room, I—"Aki sat up and wiped his face with his paws. Aki may have been miserable, but no one else needed to know that. The issue was between him and Frankie and they would work it out. Well, once Aki could look at his lover without bursting into tears again. "I came to find you actually." Aoi sat on the bed and patted Aki's furry head. "Oh, good lord you're cute." "Me?" "Totally. You remind me of a red panda that I saw at the zoo once. I wanted to take him home, he was so adorable." "Really?" Aki's ears perked a little. It felt nice to be petted, even if it wasn't Frankie who was doing it. 22

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"Yup, then again, I have a thing for furry bits. Maybe that's why I love Itsuki so much." Aoi brushed a bit long dark hair behind a pointed ear. "I do love those ears of his and that tail." "Frankie liked my ears, too." Aki sniffled and hid his face in his paws. He didn't want to cry in front of Aoi, but he couldn't help it. "At least he used to." "Speaking of Frankie, what happened between you two?" Aoi gave Aki a worried look. "All I got out of Itsuki was that you two had a fight and that I had to come down and talk to you." "Frankie saw me with a customer and got jealous." Aki's stood on his hind legs and buried his face in Aoi's shoulder. "H-he thought I was cheating on him and I wasn't!" "Oh, that's what happened." Aoi held Aki and smoothed his fur. "Hey, it's okay. I'm sure Frankie didn't mean it." "It's more than that, though." Aki sniffled. "I tried to tell him that I wouldn't cheat on him and that he was the only one I wanted to be with, but he wouldn't believe me. He basically said that he didn't trust me." "Wow, okay. What did you say to that?" "I-I kind of broke up with him." Aki wiped his nose with the back of his paw. "Was it really that bad?" Aoi grabbed a tissue and wiped Aki's face with it. "Here, I'm sure you don't want to get snot in your fur." "What he said hurt and the fact that he doesn't trust me—I can't be with someone like that." Aki buried his face in his paws and started to cry again. "Even if I love him." 23

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"Look, I got an idea. Why don't you stay at my place for a day or two? Sometimes it helps to let the dust settle before you make a decision like that." Aoi stood and stretched. "Hell, we can go shopping tomorrow. I know that always helps me think." "Are you sure?" "Totally! I know what you're going through. Itsuki is still pretty damned possessive at times." "Thanks, Aoi." Aki jumped up and hugged Aoi tightly. It was a little hard to do in his tanuki form, but he managed. "It's nothing." Aoi smiled and ruffled Aki's fur. "Just don't wait too long to talk to Frankie, all right? Some things are harder to fix if you wait to long." "I know. I'll talk to him tomorrow... after shopping." "Sounds good." Aoi held his hand out. "Come on, I need to get home. Who knows what kind of trouble my lovers are getting into without me." Aki slipped his paw into Aoi's hand and, balancing on his hind legs, followed Aoi toward the door. Aoi stopped and gave Aki an odd look. "Um, you might want to shift. Kale would have a shitfit if he saw you wandering around like that. I don't think he wants to advertise that he has a tanuki running around the club." "Oh, good point." There was another puff of greenish smoke and Aki shifted into his more human form. Granted, he was naked, but it was better than furry, right? "Okay, ready to go." "Cool." Aoi grabbed a towel and wrapped it around Aki's waist. "We may need to find you some clothes later, 24

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especially if we're going shopping tomorrow. You could probably borrow something from Aya. His clothes should fit you. Well, except for the tail." "I can make that go away, too, at least while we shop. It might be easier anyway." "True, you can probably get Max to alter anything you pick up tomorrow." Aki nodded as they stepped into the elevator. It was definitely better this way. He and Frankie would both have time to think things through, which would help. Aki didn't know what to say to Frankie at right now anyway. **** Frankie rolled over into the empty side of the bed with an unhappy sigh. Aki hadn't come home last night and that bothered Frankie a lot. It was bad enough that Aki had locked himself in his room downstairs and wouldn't even talk to him but to stay out all night, too? Then again, Frankie didn't really blame Aki either. They had a stupid fight and it had been all Frankie's fault. He had been a stupid, jealous jerk, there was no way around it. Frankie raked a handful of silver hair out of his eyes and glanced over at his alarm clock. It was nearly noon. Frankie flopped back on the mattress. He should have been out of bed by now, but Frankie wasn't in the mood. He needed to talk to Aki but he had no idea where his tanuki was. Wait a minute, maybe Itsuki or Aoi knew where Aki was. That was enough to get Frankie out of bed, at least. 25

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Frankie stripped out of his boxers and hopped in the shower. He closed his eyes and let the water stream through his hair and over his muscles. Hopefully, Aki would be willing to talk to him. Frankie kept going over what he wanted to say to Aki again and again. He felt a little silly talking to himself in the shower, but it was better than screwing it up. The water started to cool down, which was Frankie's signal to get out. He rarely was in the shower that long, unless Aki was with him. Damn, he missed that. He missed Aki. His apartment felt so lonely without the tanuki around. Frankie grabbed a towel and started to dry off. Someone knocked on the front door. Frankie tucked his towel around his waist and bounced into the living room. It had to be Aki. No one else would be visiting him in the middle of the day, at least no one Frankie could think of. "Aki, I—" "Oh good, you are home." Itsuki was standing there when Frankie opened the door. The kitsune slipped past Frankie and sat himself on the couch. "You look like hell, by the way." "I didn't sleep much last night." Frankie's shoulder sagged a little but tried not to look too disappointed. "So what's up?" "I need a favor." "Sure, what do you need?" "It's nothing major." Itsuki's ears perked and he gave Frankie a hopeful look. "I need a ride to the mall and maybe a second opinion on a couple of things." "I can do that." Frankie sat himself on the arm of the couch. "But I need to find Aki first." "Well, that's going to be a bit of a problem. He's not here." 26

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"What? When did he leave? I have to find him." Frankie stood up, hunting for his wallet and keys. Aki had never been on his own in the city before. A hundred different scenarios ran through his head and all of them ended badly. He had to find Aki before the tanuki got himself lost or worse. "Take it easy, Aki's safe." Itsuki brushed his fingers through the sable fur of his tail. "He went shopping with Aoi, that's all. That's why we're going, too. We're going to be meeting them for an early dinner. Of course, Aki doesn't know that. We're making it look like a coincidence, just in case." "Thanks, Itsuki." "No problem. I've been in the same boat more than once. Granted, neither Aoi nor Aya had ever broken up with me, but I know what you're going, through." "Either way, I owe you and Aoi big time." "Don't worry about it. Let's just get you back together with Aki." "Yeah, we should get going." Frankie stood and grabbed his keys off the bookshelf. He was nervous, but he also needed to settle things with Aki. He hated the fact that they had gone this long without talking. "You have shopping to do before we meet up with them, right?" "Um, Frankie, you might want to get dressed first." "Oh, damn... I'll be right back." Frankie ducked into the bedroom and grabbed a pair of boxers and jeans out of his drawer and a shirt out of his closet. He tugged his clothes on and hopped into the 27

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bathroom to brush his teeth. Once that was done he headed back into the living room, pocketing his keys. "Okay, now I'm ready." "Cool." Itsuki stood and stretched. "We should hit the south end of the mall, first. I need pants. Oh, and you probably should pick up something for Aki, too. Gifts always help after a fight." Frankie nodded and followed Itsuki out of the apartment. It was a good idea. Aki loved to get presents and that would definitely make making up a little easier. The only question was what to get him. **** Aki tugged a pair of slightly faded jeans on and glanced in the mirror. Oh, those were nice. They hung low on Aki's lean hips and hugged his legs and ass perfectly. The jeans didn't need to be altered either, since the waistband ended just bellow where his tail would usually be. Okay, he was definitely getting the jeans and both T-shirts. One of the shirts had a squirrel on it while the other had some sort of ninja rabbit on the front. Aki loved weird T-shirts and couldn't resist either of them. He got dressed again and headed out of the dressing room. Wandering around without his tail was a little weird, but Aki didn't really have a choice. He was borrowing clothes from Aoi's lover, Aya, and he couldn't really cut a tail hole in the pants. Aki sighed. It wouldn't have been a problem if he could have gone home last night. Stupid Frankie. 28

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It had only been one night, but Aki already missed that damned stubborn man. He missed the soft silver hair that always straggled into that handsome face. He missed Frankie's warmth and those jade-green eyes that windowed whatever Frankie was feeling. Damn it, he should have headed home and talked to Frankie, but Aki still didn't know what to say and didn't want to make things worse. "Well, how did everything fit?" Aoi stood just out of the dressing area with two large bags hanging from his arm. "It was perfect." Aki forced a smile. There was no reason to spoil Aoi's day just because he was feeling depressed. "I think I'm getting all of it." "Good!" Aoi took the clothes from Aki and headed to the register. "Wait, Aoi." Aki tried to stop Aoi, but the dancer was quicker than he was. "Nope, I'm not listening." Aoi pulled a credit card out of his wallet and handed it to the clerk. "Shopping was my idea so this is my treat. I just hope you feel better." "I-I do. I'm just a little worried, that's all." "About Frankie?" "Sort of. I'm more worried about what I'm going to do next time I see him." Aki stood beside Aoi and watched the clerk bag up his new clothes. He already had two other bags of stuff. Aoi was being very generous and Aki would have to figure out a way to repay him. Well, once he got his first paycheck anyway. "Well, maybe you should talk to him." Aoi handed Aki the bag with a shrug. 29

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"What do I say? I-I mean I don't really want to leave him, but I'm not apologizing either." Aki's ears flicked back against his hair. "I shouldn't have to, right?" "I'm sure you'll figure it out." Aoi smiled and patted Aki on the shoulder. "So where do you want to go next? Are you hungry?" "Oh, food would be good." Aki's stomach grumbled eagerly. They had skipped lunch and he was starving. "Where should we go?" "The food court would probably be best." Aoi hooked his arm around Aki's and tugged him toward the center of the mall. "There's an awesome fish and chips place there. Oh, and really good lemonade, too." "Sounds good." They headed to the food court. Aki scanned a couple of the food places before settling on the steak sandwich place. Aki could never say 'no' to a steak sandwich or the thick cut fries that came with it. Aoi ended up at the fish and chips place and sat down with a mound of fried food. "Oh, that looks good." Aki glanced at Aoi's food. The scent of fried fish and malt vinegar wafted up from Aoi's plate. Damn, maybe he should have gone there, too. "This is one of the few places that has smoked salmon fish and chips and they are pretty tasty." Aoi nibbled on a fry. "You can have a piece if you want." "No, I'm good." Aki stood again. "I feel like one of those lemonades you mentioned, too. Do you want one?" "Totally." Aoi shifted a little, reaching for his wallet. 30

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"It's okay, Aoi, I got it." Aki smiled and headed toward the lemonade place. "You treated me enough today. I can pay for this, at least." "Thanks!" Aki fished a few bucks out of his pocket and paid for the lemonades. It was a good thing he remembered to pick up his share of last night's tips otherwise he'd be penniless until he got his first paycheck, which wasn't until the end of the week. He turned and bounced back toward the table. Hanging out with Aoi was certainly helping his mood. He still wasn't sure what to do about Frankie, but that he could work out later. "Hey, Aki, look who showed up." Aoi waved at him. Aki glanced up to see two more people sitting with Aoi. He recognized Aoi's kitsune lover, Itsuki, instantly and of course Frankie. Aki's ears flicked back against his hair. It was good to see Itsuki, but Frankie, not so much. Aki was still working out what he wanted to say. With a sigh, Aki sat back down and pushed one of the lemonades over to Aoi. "Hi, Itsuki... Frankie." "Good to see you, Aki." Itsuki nodded at him. "I hope Aoi's not getting you into too much trouble." "No, he's been good and very generous." Aki picked at his food. Suddenly he wasn't hungry anymore. "H-he bought me clothes." "It was nothing." Aoi popped a bite of fish into his mouth. "I loved picking stuff out for you. It was fun." He turned toward Frankie with an eyebrow raised in curiosity. "How have you been, Frankie?" 31

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"Okay, I guess." Frankie shrugged. He glanced up and gave Aki a sheepish look. "Hi, Aki." "Hey." Aki couldn't look at him. There were too many emotions twisting in his chest. He missed Frankie, there was no doubting that, but part of him was still hurt by what happened. "So what did you two do today?" Aoi scooted his chair over and snuggled against Itsuki's side. "Nothing much, just a little shopping." Itsuki slipped an arm around Aoi's slim waist and kissed him on the cheek. "I just wanted to get Frankie out of the club for a while." The kitsune grinned. "It was quite a bit of luck to run into you two." "You two are up to something." Aki's ears flattened. "This is all some sort of scheme to get us back together isn't it? "What? We wouldn't do that." "Itsuki!" Aki glared at the kitsune. "Okay, maybe." Itsuki wiggled his ears, looking almost comical. It was so hard to stay mad at the stupid fox. "Well, we had to do something." Aoi nibbled on a french fry. "You two are both so damned stubborn that you wouldn't talk to each other." "Hey, I tried but someone locked me out of the room." Frankie blew a bit of silver hair out of his eyes. "And I wasn't about to shout through the door. The last thing we needed was to have the whole club hear us fight." Aki crossed his arms over his chest stubbornly. He didn't care how handsome his lover was, Frankie was not getting away with any of this. Aki's tail would have been bristling if it 32

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was out. "There wouldn't have been a problem if you weren't such a possessive ass!" "I-I know." Frankie took a deep breath and gave Aki the most apologetic look. "I was being stupid and jealous and I'm sorry." "What?" Aki blinked at Frankie. He wasn't expecting that. "I'm sorry." Frankie moved his chair closer and reached out to rub Aki's arm. "I should have trusted you. I-I do trust you. It's just— I don't know." He shook his head. It looked like Frankie was having a hard time finding the words. "Look, I don't want to lose you." "I don't want to lose you either and I'm sorry I broke up with you." Aki cupped Frankie's sweet face in his hands. He was tired of being angry and missed touching his lover so much. "All I know is that I love you, you silly man, and no one else." "I know, and I love you. I'm just afraid that you'll find some one more interesting." Aki leaned closer and pressed his forehead against Frankie's. "You're my mate, Frankie. I wouldn't leave you for anyone else." "Really?" Frankie brushed his fingers against Aki's cheek. "Really." Aki nodded and leaned into Frankie's touch. Oh, he'd missed that. "I think that's our signal to leave." Aoi stood and tugged Itsuki to his feet. "Come on, love." Itsuki nodded. "Okay, you two behave yourselves. No more fights, okay?" 33

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"Okay." Aki grinned at his friends. He owed both Aoi and Itsuki so much. He and Frankie would probably still be angry at each other if it wasn't for them. "Thanks, Aoi. Thanks, Itsuki." "Seriously," Frankie pulled Aki close and nodded. "This would have been a lot harder without you two." "Hey, me and Itsuki went through a lot of the same stuff, so we both know how it feels." "We'll see you two later." Itsuki winked as he and Aoi headed off. "Have fun with the make up sex." Oh, make up sex, now that was a thought. Aki leaned closer and nuzzled Frankie's cheek. "Maybe we should head home, too. I want to show you the new clothes I bought. I'm also curious about this 'make up sex' Itsuki mentioned." He whispered the last bit in Frankie's ear and gave his lover's thigh a squeeze. "Home does sound like a good idea." Frankie stood quickly, almost knocking his chair over. He grabbed Aki's hand and tugged him toward the parking garage. "Come on, the car's this way." **** Frankie popped the trunk of his car so Aki could put his bags inside. There was a lot of stuff and from what Aki said, Aoi had bought most of it for him. They would definitely have to figure out how to pay Aoi and Itsuki back for everything they'd done. Granted, that could wait until after they finished making up. 34

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"So did you and Itsuki go shopping to or did you just show up for dinner?" Aki sat himself in the passenger seat, his ears twitching like a curious cat's. "We shopped for a bit before we met up with you two." "Did you find anything interesting?" "I picked up a couple of new shirts." Frankie fished a smaller bag out of the big paper one that held his shirts. It had been Itsuki's idea to get Aki something as a sort of peace offering. At first, Frankie hadn't known what to get. That was until he saw that bracelet. It had been carved from a single piece of jade into an Asian dragon. The swirling shades of green went perfectly with the dragon's carved features and it had caught Frankie's eye the moment he saw it. It was beautiful, but there was more to it than that. He didn't know why, but it seemed to fit his pretty tanuki. "Oh, and this is for you." "Frankie you didn't have to get me anything." "You deserve it, considering what a jerk I've been." Aki gave him one of those sweet smiles and pulled the tissue paper out of the bag. His eyes widened when he found the bracelet. "Frankie, I don't know what to say." "Do you like it?" Frankie got a little worried. Aki looked like he was about to cry. "I mean, I could get you something else if you don't." "I love it." Aki sniffled and hugged Frankie tightly. "Thank you." Frankie wiped Aki's tears away with his fingers. "Baby, why are you crying?" 35

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"Jade has a special meaning for my kind. It's a symbol of love and longevity." Aki ran his fingers over the intricate carving. "Jewelry like this is usually given when one tanuki is asking to marry another." "Wow, really?" "Yup, don't worry, though, I won't hold you to that. It's an old tradition." "Well, you did say that I was your mate, right?" Frankie took the bracelet and slipped it onto Aki's wrist. "True, and I meant it, too." Aki leaned closer and kissed Frankie on the cheek. "There's no one else I'd rather be with." "Thanks, love." Frankie reached over and patted his lover on the thigh. "Now, let's get home." "Good idea." Aki nodded. "I have new clothes to show you. Oh, and don't forget, there's make up sex, too." Frankie started his car and zipped out of the parking lot. Make up sex was definitely an incentive for getting home quickly **** They pulled into the parking structure of The Body Shop in record time. Frankie couldn't help it. He was excited to have Aki back. Okay, it had only been one night, but it had felt like a lot longer. It wouldn't have been so bad except for the fact that Aki had broken up with him and Frankie had been pretty damned sure that the tanuki would never speak to him again. Aki pulled his bags from the trunk and bounced toward the club. "Come on, Frankie." 36

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"I'm right behind you." Frankie followed his lover inside. It was a little weird to see Aki without that furry, stripped tail but, it did give him a really nice view of Aki's pert ass. They headed to the elevator and rode it up to the fourth floor and Frankie's apartment. Aki was playing dirty and rubbing up against him the entire ride up. It was really tempting for Frankie to stop the elevator so they could have their make up sex right then and there. Of course, that would get them both into massive amounts of trouble with Kale. It totally would have been worth it, though, well, maybe. Luckily, the elevators were quick and the doors opened before Frankie could hit the stop button. Aki took his hand and led him to their door. "I can't wait to show you what I bought." Aki pulled Frankie inside and took his bags into the bedroom. "Aoi even picked out a special outfit for me." He peeked out of the doorway with a thoughtful look. "Something about it being one of your kinks?" "Wait, what?" Frankie blinked. He hadn't just heard that, had he? "What exactly did Aoi tell you?" "I'm not telling. It's a surprise." Aki wiggled his ears. "Go sit on the couch and I'll be out in a little bit." Frankie raked a hand through his hair and sat himself on the couch. He was really curious to see what this 'special outfit' was. Aki popped back into the living room a few minutes later wearing a snug pair of jeans and a bright yellow T-shirt with a squirrel on it. "Well, what do you think?" 37

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"I like the T-shirt and jeans look good, but where's your tail supposed to go?" "I'll have to bribe Max into putting tail holes in a few things, but that shouldn't be a problem, right?" "I don't think so. Max is usually happy to help with that kind of stuff." "Cool." Aki headed back into the bedroom with a grin. "Sit tight, I have a few more things to show you." The next outfit was a gothy button up shirt complete with ornate metal buttons, matching coat and a pair of black slacks. Aki looked like a model out of one of the Japanese Goth magazines. It was a good look on him. Aki twirled happily. "I think this is my favorite." "I like that one, too." There was another pair of jeans and a different T-shirt. The only real difference was that those jeans had a lower waist and rode low enough on Aki's hips that they wouldn't interfere with the tanuki's tail. The beach shorts Aki modeled after that were the same way. Frankie tried to be patient, but he was starting to get a little antsy. He was curious to see what that 'special' outfit Aki had mentioned was and it was starting to get the better of him. "Okay, last one." Aki peeked out of the bedroom. "This is the one that Aoi picked out. I'm still not sure about this, though." Frankie's eyes widened as Aki stepped into the living room. He was wearing a short dark pleated skirt, a white button up blouse and a short jacket that matched the skirt. It was 38

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basically a girl's school uniform and damn if he didn't look good in it. "Wow!" "I'm not sure why you would want to see me in girl's clothes, but Aoi said you'd like it." Aki turned around. His tail was out and lifted the hem of the skirt up, giving Frankie a good view of the frilly underwear Aki was wearing. "Are you wearing panties, too?" Frankie swallowed. He didn't know whether to thank Aoi or kill him. Aoi was the only one who knew about his thing for pretty boys in skirts and Frankie really didn't want it to get out. That was the kind of thing that scared off boyfriends. Well, except for Aki, anyway. Aki nodded. "Aoi said it was part of the package." He gave Frankie a worried look. "Well, do you like it?" "I do." Frankie slid his hand up Aki's bare thigh. "You don't know how horny you're making me right now." "I wish you would have told me." Aki pushed Frankie's chin up. "If I was a jealous tanuki, I might resent the fact that Aoi knows more about your sexual interests than I do." "It's not something I share. I mean, it is a little weird." Frankie wrapped his arms around Aki's waist. "How did Aoi find out?" "There was lots of alcohol involved and a really long game of truth or dare." "Ah." Aki smiled and tugged on a bit of Frankie's hair teasingly. "That would explain some of the other stories he told me." "I'm going to have a serious talk with Aoi later, but right now all I want to do is get you out of those clothes." 39

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"Mmm, I think I can help with that." Aki took a step back and shrugged off his jacket. He tugged at the buttons of his shirt and gave Frankie a wicked little smile. Frankie watched as the soft fabric slid over Aki's shoulders and dropped to the floor. Aki reached for the zipper on his skirt but Frankie grabbed his hand before he could tug it down. "Leave the skirt on." Frankie slid his hand down Aki's back and petted the base of that furry tail. "It's really sexy." "S-sure." Aki gasped and pushed into Frankie's touch. "As long as you pet me some more." "I'll do more than just pet you." Frankie pulled Aki onto the couch and rubbed his back. "Mmn, are you going to fuck me, too?" Aki tugged at Frankie's shirt and pulled it over Frankie's head. "I can't wait to feel that thick cock of yours." He traced his fingers over the button fly of Frankie's jeans. "Of course, you'll have to lose the pants first." "I can do that." Frankie shifted and kicked off his jeans and boxers. "Better?" "Definitely." Aki dropped a bottle of lube into Frankie's hand and draped himself over Frankie's thigh. "Lube me up, will you?" "What are you going to do?" Frankie tugged Aki's underwear down and patted the soft curve of the tanuki's ass. "Taste you, of course." Aki nuzzled Frankie's cock and gave it a long wet lick. "It's been too long since I got to do this." "Aki, it's been a day, two at the most." Frankie poured some lube onto his fingers and rubbed two of them beneath 40

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Aki's tail. He circled the puckered opening and eased his fingers inside. "That's too long for me." Aki ran his fingers along the underside of Frankie's cock. He closed his eyes and pushed back against Frankie's hand. "Oh, your fingers feel so good." "Do you want another one?" Aki glanced up and gave Frankie a pleading look. "Please." "Okay, love." Frankie pulled his hand free and slid three fingers back into Aki's tight little body. He wiggled his hand, trying to get Aki to ease his grip a little. It was hard to think straight with all that tight, pulsing heat gripping his fingers. It would feel even better around his cock, but Frankie could wait, especially if it meant getting one of Aki's amazing blow jobs. A soft moan vibrated against Frankie's cock as Aki swallowed him down. Frankie lifted his hips, rubbing against those sweet lips and that quick teasing tongue. Oh, that felt good. Slowly, Frankie started to move his fingers, easing in and out of his lover's ass and matching the movement of Aki's mouth. He pushed deep and rubbed against Aki's gland. "Ah, Frankie!" Aki bolted up, panting softly. "What's wrong?" Frankie rubbed against that sweet spot again. "You're playing dirty, that's what." Aki bit back a groan. "II'm going to come if you keep that up." "Is that a bad thing?" "No, but I wanted to feel your cock in me first."

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"You sound so sexy when you talk like that." Frankie pulled his hand free and patted Aki on the ass. "How do you want it, love?" "Let me ride you." Aki leaned in and nipped at Frankie's neck. "It always feels so good that way." Frankie dripped some of the lube on to his cock and grinned. "Ready when you are, baby." With a nod, Aki straddled Frankie's lap. He rubbed himself against Frankie's length. "Aki!" Before Frankie could say anything else, Aki eased down and took him deep. So many sensations hit Frankie at once: the soft, breathy moans that slipped from Aki's lips, the brush of soft fur against his thighs and, of course, the tight, slick heat of Aki's ass rippling around his prick. It was mind blowing. "Mmn, so good." Aki leaned forward and kissed Frankie's lips. "Fuck me, Frankie, please." "Anything for you, baby." Frankie wrapped his hands around Aki's slim waist and bucked his hips. Aki kissed him again and started to move. Every time Frankie would lift his hips, Aki would rock back, taking him in deep. Frankie picked up the pace, fucking Aki with quick hard strokes. "Oh!" Aki's hands tightened against Frankie's shoulders. His whole body was tense like a wound up spring and that sweet prick was rock hard and leaving wet streaks on Frankie's belly. Aki was so close. That was easy enough to see. 42

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"That's it, baby" Frankie leaned in and lapped at a dusky pink nipple. He wrapped his still slick fingers around Aki's straining cock and stroked it. "Come for me." "Aahn, Frankie!" Aki tossed his head back with a groan and splattered Frankie's stomach with come. His whole body rippled and tightened around Frankie's cock. That was more than enough to push Frankie over the edge. He slammed his hips against Aki's ass and filled his lover with heat. Aki slumped against Frankie's chest, panting softly. He glanced up and kissed Frankie on the chin. "Love you." "Love you, too." "I'm glad we made up." Aki trailed his fingers over Frankie's stomach and licked the stickiness from his fingers. "I can't imagine doing this with anyone else." "Me either." Frankie cupped Aki's face and looked him in the eye. "I'm sorry about everything." "Don't worry about it, love." Aki pressed his forehead against Frankie's. "You were worried about losing me and that just means that you love me a lot. You wouldn't worry about stuff like that if you didn't, right?" "True, but that doesn't mean I get to be a jerk." "No, but I really should have thought a little more about this whole stripping thing." Aki shook his head. "I should have thought more about your feelings." "I'm not going to stop you, Aki." Frankie stood and carried his lover toward the bathroom. "If working at the club makes you happy, then you should keep doing it." 43

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"It doesn't matter, making you happy is more important." Aki leaned his head against Frankie's shoulder. "I can find another job, but I can't find another you." "Let's not worry about it right now." Frankie set Aki down and tapped the shower panel. "I think we should get cleaned up and sleep on it. Things will be clearer tomorrow." **** Aki bounced toward the bar after his set. He was in a good mood and would be in an even better one if he could coax Frankie into taking a break with him. It had been a week since their fight and things couldn't have been better. Frankie had insisted that Aki keep his job at the club but had been really good about not being jealous. Things were a lot clearer since their fight and the talk they'd had afterward. Aki touched the jade bracelet on his wrist. That had been part of it, too. Frankie's peace offering meant so much to him and Aki never took it off. "Hi, Frankie." Aki waved at his lover. Frankie glanced up from the glass he was wiping and grinned. "Hey, Aki." Aki slipped behind the bar and snuggled against Frankie's side. "Hey, yourself." "What are you up to?" "Nothing much, I was going on a little break and I was wondering if you could join me." "I don't know, I—"

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Jade: Tanuki Trouble by Misa Izanaki

Dante butted in before Frankie could say anything else. "It's fine, Frankie. It's pretty slow right now. I think I can manage without you for a little while." "You sure? I don't want to leave you by yourself." Frankie gave his friend a surprised look. . " What's with that look? You do have breaks, you know." Dante whapped Frankie teasingly with his tail. Just don't take too long, okay?" "Thanks, Dante." "No prob." Dante winked at both of them. "Have fun." Frankie slipped his hand in Aki's and tugged him toward the hallway behind the bar. "What do you want to do?" "I don't know, but I can think of a thing or two." Aki smiled and whapped Frankie with his tail. "Of course, we have to be naked for those."

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